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The Witch of Endor
The Witch of Endor '''was a powerful Witch consulted by King Saul of Israel to summon the spirit of the prophet Samuel. '''Background When Samuel dies, he is buried in Ramah. Saul, the current King of Israel, seeks wisdom from God in choosing a course of action against the assembled forces of the Philistines. He receives no answer from dreams, prophets, or the Urim and Thummim. Having driven out all necromancers and magicians from Israel, Saul searches for a witch anonymously and in disguise. His search leads him to a woman of Endor, who claims that she can see the ghost of Samuel rising from the abode of the dead. The voice of the prophet's Ghost at first frightens the witch of Endor, and after complaining of being disturbed, berates Saul for disobeying God, and predicts Saul's downfall. The spirit reiterates a pre-mortem prophecy by Samuel, adding that Saul will perish with his whole army in battle the next day. Saul is terrified. The next day, his army is defeated as prophesied, Saul is fatally wounded by the Philistines, and in two different tellings of the event, commits suicide by using his own sword, or asks a youth to strike him down. Although Saul is depicted as an enemy to witches and diviners, the Witch of Endor comforts Saul when she sees his distress and insists on feeding him before he leaves. Since this passage never states that the Witch was responsible for the appearance of Samuel's spirit, and it states the Witch made a loud cry in fear when she saw Samuel's spirit, Bible literalists believe the story to be historically accurate but that the Witch had actually never acted as a medium between Saul and Samuel and summoned Samuel's spirit to begin with but, rather, this was the work of God in the passage. Joyce Baldwin writes that "The Incident does not tell us anything about the veracity of claims to consult the dead on the part of mediums, because the Indications are that this was an extraordinary event for her, and a frightening one because she was not in control." Appearance She appears as almost the stereotypical version of a hag, she is seen wearing a black cape, nothing else is known about her appearance as she keeps her face hidden with her cape. Powers and Abilities While the majority and extent of her powers are unknown, she seems to be a necromancer as she is able to summon, control, and speak to the dead. * Spell Casting - As a Witch, she gets her power through the use of magic, such as incantations and rituals. ** [[Necromancy|'Necromancy']] - She summoned the spirit of the prophet Samuel, raising him from the dead to speak to King Saul. ** [[Astral Perception|'Astral Perception']]' '- She was able to see the dead and communicate with them. ** Conjuration '- Being a powerful Witch, she could conjure up other beings, such as Ghosts. ** 'Immortality '- Though her exact age is unknown, through the use of magic, she could make herself immortal. ** 'Minimal Invulnerability '- Through magic, she could not be harmed by conventional weapons such as knives. ** [[Clairsentience|'Clairsentience]]' '- She is capable to sensing the energies of other beings. Weaknesses * [[Iron|'Iron']]' '- While not dangerous to her, iron is capable of blocking her powers. * [[Magic|'Magic']]' '- While well versed in magic, it can be used against her. * [[Fire|'Fire']]' '- Fire is able to harm and kill her.